For three four-year council seats, they'll face an incumbent and a former councilman who are on the ballot and another less-bitter write-in candidate.

11/2/2007 FOR THE RECORD (Published Friday, November 2, 2007) The last name of Gregory Hutchison, a Macungie Borough Council candidate, was incorrectly spelled in an information box on B5 in some editions Thursday. Also, photos of Guy Ramsey and Gregory Hutchison in the information box were switched. Guy Ramsey's photo was misidentified as Gregory Hutchison and vice versa.

Two of the write-ins, Dorothy Kociuba and Robert Bogert, are running as a direct result of council's recent decision to deny Police Chief Edward Harry's request to purchase a police dog. Kociuba and Bogert say it's not just the no vote itself, but the way council handled the matter that irked them.

"They wanted to make this move real fast and not let the public see any of it," Bogert said. "There is a true air of disrespect where council members don't even look at people that are talking to them. That's just not right and I'd like to see that changed."

Council recently voted against buying the dog without discussing the matter in public. They claim they were justified in discussing it in private because the subject qualified as a personnel matter. After residents demanded public discussion, council agreed to hold a special meeting on the topic. But afterward, they shot down the proposal again.

Bogert said even if, as a councilman, he wanted to vote against the K-9 purchase, he would have felt compelled to "take another look" at the question because of the number of residents in favor of it.

Councilman Linn Walker, a Republican who was appointed to the board in 2005 to fill a vacancy and is trying to retain his seat, voted against the purchase, saying a K-9 dog isn't necessary. He said the cost wouldn't be justified.

"I'd be the first to vote for it if I thought we needed it," said Walker, noting he trained attack dogs in the 1970s while in the Army. "We have a beautiful town and our town is safe. I see people walking late at night."

Walker said the biggest issue facing the borough now is not the dog, but the budget. He said next year's budget is not balanced yet and some programs might need to be cut before it's passed.

Walker said one police dog wouldn't be enough because it would be available only for an eight-hour shift. He said K-9 dogs are always available to the borough through other agencies. He also said "too many lawsuits" have resulted in police agencies' use of K-9 dogs.

The way council handled the matter is just one example of how it treats the public, said the other new write-in candidate, Guy Ramsey.

"What happens right now is you're not welcome to be at the meeting," Ramsey said. "The feeling you get now is you're a disruption to their meeting and they would just assume you're not there so they can get on with things. I think that's just inappropriate for the council."

Two years ago, Ramsey helped create Citizens Help Improve Local Leadership, an organization that first fought against construction trucks that were traveling on Church Street, hauling dirt and materials to a nearby site where more than 200 homes were being built.

"My goal is to energize the local community and get their involvement in local leadership," he said.

Ramsey said he wants to separate the jobs of borough manager and zoning officer, saying it's too much for one person to do. He said the only time that zoning rules are addressed is when one resident squeals on another.

"One neighbor must become an enemy of the other party in order to get any action from the law," he said.

Ramsey and Bogert, both members of the Planning Commission, said Macungie's subdivision ordinance, adopted in 1987, and the zoning ordinance need to be updated to deal with new forms of construction. Ramsey said council hasn't responded to proposed amendments offered by the Planning Commission. He said council should form a committee to review such matters.

Kociuba said council meetings should all be held at Macungie Institute, which is much larger than the cramped borough chambers. She also believes relations between council and the Police Department need to be improved.

Meanwhile, Gregory Hutchison, who has served more than 20 years on council, but lost in the 2005 election, is back on the ballot as a Republican. He blames his 2005 loss on a lack of campaigning.

"I made a poor decision not to go after it and I paid the price," he said.

Hutchison said he decided to run again after hearing that council members Lynda Ippolito and David Saylor aren't seeking re-election.

"If you get a lot of new people on the board, you can have problems," he said.

Hutchison said the three new write-in candidates offer "only a one-issue platform."

"I'd just like our citizens to look at the community as a whole and not just one issue," he said.

When asked where he stands on the police dog debate, Hutchison said he doesn't know enough details, such as how much the cost would be, to offer an opinion.

"I'm noncommittal on it because I don't have enough information on it," he said.